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I love the ones I built, I can carry 3 out into the field over my shoulder and the ducks and recievers, they throw about twice as far as the standard gunners up or zinger winger. I absolutely love the Train-Rite release mechanism I used it works great with electronics and it is actually easier to launch manually than the kicker wingers. Nothing like a winger that will chuck a duck over 60 yards. I can also throw ducks just 10 yards or inbetween lengths, Drawbacks are most men cannot just pull down pouch like they can on Zingers or Gunners up, but must unhook the rubbers first and dogs that bounce of the gunners on marks must actually learn to mark the BIRD not the gunner. The Train-Rite release is also nice because it does not have a servo to fail, and it is very easy to remove primers from if you get one that swells unlike Zingers. The ones I built throw about the same as the $600 Zinger Hunt Tester at about 1/2 the cost.

A question on the electronics part - which one has the longest range? I have an old Retriever Specialist launcher that's limited to 1oo yards and my box launchers with DT are about the same. Do other electronics reach the 300 yd range? I would imagine so, since it sounds like e collars do.

Kelly, why would you want to throw a duck 60 yards? Anyway, I love my GU standards. Light enough for me to carry a couple hundred yards, fold up nice and flat, and hasn't (yet) smashed my fingers. The TT electronics are the only disappointment. Considering my history with them, those release receivers and transmitter were probably the last TT items I will ever buy. We'll both be happier!

A question on the electronics part - which one has the longest range? I have an old Retriever Specialist launcher that's limited to 1oo yards and my box launchers with DT are about the same. Do other electronics reach the 300 yd range? I would imagine so, since it sounds like e collars do.

Tri-Tronics ($299 for transmitter and 1 reciever unit)says 700 yards, Dogtra ($306 for Transmitter and 1 reciever) 1 mile (1760 yards), Tri-tronics will let you use up to 10 recievers ($175 each) Dogtra will let you use 8 recievers ($159 each at Dogs Afield)

because it opens up more training and testing possobilities, You can do really great out of context marks, you can have ducks come over trees instead of out of them, you can teach a dog to mark the fall of the bird not just bounce off gunner, makes it easier to begin to teach "under the arc" blinds, gives dogs forever to actually watch the fall of the bird, Great for actually throwing high enoough to get bird above crests of hills, Great for teaching passing shots, in throws and back throws, Great for steadying a dog with duck coming over your head and landing in front of you, or really great for skimming a duck across the pond in front of dog if you think your dog is steady enough, I am sure there are a bunch of things I haven't thought of too. All the judges that have borrowed them for tests have really seemed to like them.

I have 2 zingers FT , 1 down range winger looks like a zinger FT copy ,
And a First Chanch winger made more like GU all but one is over 6 years old
All have been very reliable. Wires short out servos go bad rubbers brake.
I Carry extra pouch pully rubber setup and servo
to min down time up in case.